A Full Life

Reflections at Ninety

Jimmy Carter, thirty-ninth President, Nobel Peace Prize winner, international humanitarian, fisherman, reflects on his full and happy life with pride, humor, and a few second thoughts. At ninety, Carter reflects on his public and private life with a frankness that is disarming. He adds detail and emotion about his youth in rural Georgia that he described in his earlier memoir An Hour Before Daylight. He writes about racism and the isolation of the Carters. He describes the brutality of the hazing regimen at Annapolis, how he nearly lost his life twice serving on submarines, and his amazing interview with Admiral Rickover. He describes the profound influence his mother had on him, and how he admired his father even though he didn't emulate him. He admits that he decided to quit the Navy and later enter politics without consulting his wife, Rosalynn, and how appalled he is in retrospect. In A Full Life, Carter reveals both what he is proud of and what he might do differently. He discusses his regret at losing his re-election, but how he and Rosalynn pushed on and made a new life and second and third rewarding careers. He is frank about the presidents who have succeeded him, world leaders, and his passions for the causes he cares most about, particularly the condition of women and the deprived people of the developing world.

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Many, if not all former US presidents have written their autobiographies, so in that sense there is nothing unusual about this Bio written by President Jimmy Carter. What is different though is the fact that this book is written as Jimmy Carter turns ninety and has indeed led, as the title indicates, a full life. I would say the life has not only been very full but also most interesting in its variety. As the author himself says, "in retrospect, ...all phases of my life have been challenging, but successful and enjoyable."

The book is informative, enjoyable, and above all, educational. It may not be a very easy read but it is definitely a book to be read and savored.

I thought this book was enjoyable, but alittle haphazard in its approach. I wish I would have gotten a better sense of what a former president has learned at age 90. Why did he make the mistakes that he did. When he got things right, why was that so. The anticdotes are interesting (race relations, submarine life, haunted houses...), but not deep.

[Disclaimer: I was one of the most industrious volunteers on Carter's first - - and successful - - presidential campaign!]
Just like to give a big thanks to former president, Jimmy Carter, for overturning the anti-usury federal regulations, allowing Reagan and Clinton to usher in the global economic meltdown, and thanks for throwing in with the Saudi head-choppers and destabilizing the former-secular government of Afghanistan, and thanks for those prescient neocon appointments who would continue on in future neocon administrations [Jean Kirkpatrick, Linda Chavez, Eliot Abrams, et cetera], and thanks for deregulating the airline industry and trucking industry and opening the door for massive deregulation and privatization to follow - - but most of all, Mr. Carter, thanks for going ONLY half-way on your promise to allow us to investigate the assassinations of President Kennedy [the last Real Democrat to hold that office] and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., to allow the CIA to shut us down when we began getting close to them, and to rush in and classify all our notes!

First book by President Carter I've read. Some of the parts I enjoyed the most are his years in the military and on the farm; especially those on the submarine, and also his attention to every detail of his life as a business leader and a family man. I was impressed by his humble spirit and continuing efforts to bring peace to the whole world. His is an understated autobiography, simply written and simply organized, so it's easy to read even though it's a bit dry. His is a humble spirit, determined and dedicated to all people. He hasn't been above or beneath hearing anyone's issues, be it a president of a major country or a single mother from any country. His lifelong commitment to social issues such as racial justice, his proposals for improving citizens lives such as universal healthcare, his establishing expansion of protected lands, and above all, his willingness to mediate talks with any and all world's politicians about accomplishing world peace, not just while in the office but throughout his whole life, are some of the solid accomplishments of this undervalued president. Hat down.

RAULVEGAII
Sep 24, 2015

anti Israel, against jews

JMFlaherty
Sep 23, 2015

A beautiful book , written by a beautiful person. I was lucky to work, as a volunteer, in one of his campaigns and found myself surrounded by the best human beings I've ever met: highly intelligent and mentally and emotionally healthy and stable. Jimmy Carter, a superior man, was one of the USA's finest Presidents.

This book is fine on its own and is quite readable, but basically it's a condensation of some of his previous books, together with some new information. It is interesting to learn about life on the farm before and during the civil rights struggle, his time in the navy and being at the forefront of nuclear engineering, how his political career was almost destroyed at the very beginning by a corrupt political boss who voted dead people and did not believe in secret ballots, and his encounters with some of the world's most undesirable leaders during and after his time in the White House. I was surprised to learn that he proposed a sweeping reform of health care that surpassed 'Obamacare' in scope and had bi-partisan support but was killed by an intransigent Ted Kennedy who thought it didn't go far enough. I was also surprised that the moves towards deregulation of many industries started under him, not Reagan. Still ... I was expecting a bit more from one of the most important leaders of our time. His previous non-biographical books are certainly better than this one.